Love 2×02 Recap: “Friends Night Out”

The Morning After

Episode two picks up right where episode one left off. When we last saw Mickey and Gus they were awkwardly sharing a bed together because of ridiculous circumstances. Now it’s the next morning, and Mickey wakes up confused. She forgets where she is until she turns over to see Gus. She immediately tries to make a quiet exit, but Gus wakes up. He tells Mickey about a weird dream he had where he kills Osama Bin Laden, but he turns out to be Macauly Culkin. Weird. They try to interpret the dream, when Mickey realizes she missed a Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous meeting (SLAA for short). Deciding to go to a later meeting, Mickey asks if she can shower so she because she smells like “B.O. and tacos”. And then, BOOM, awkward sexual tension. Gus decides to get coffees so Mickey can shower in peace. He then makes a creepy “joke” about “making sure to turn the spy cam off in the shower”. Aaaaand Gus starts the awkwardness two and a half minutes into the episode!

Big Red

Gus returns to find Mickey in a towel, specifically the only towel he owns. Gus explains that his ex-girlfriend Natalie took all the towels after their breakup, and that all he got was “Big Red”. The guy couldn’t pop over to a Bed, Bath, and Beyond? Despite not having any towels, Gus does have three empty shampoo bottles because of his “difficult hair”, which, according to his mom makes him look like Michael Landon. Now, probably the majority of the people reading this article have no idea who Michael Landon is. The same goes for Mickey. Gus explains that Michael Landon played the dad on Little House on the Prairie, a show that both myself and Gus enjoy. Mickey asks for a shirt, and tries to bolt out of there. She’s interrupted when Gus asks when they can hang out again. I’m frustrated, and so is Mickey. She explains that even though her and Gus aren’t hooking up, they should still take a pause in their friendship. It’s better for her to not couple up in any way shape or form at the moment. She asks if they can catch up in a week, and Gus agrees.

SLAA

Mickey makes it to her SLAA meeting where she explains her night with Gus. She feels really good that she did not have sex with Gus. Mickey admits that even though she wants to take things slow with Gus, she really just wants to text him and hang out with him all day. She has a dinner party later, and doesn’t want to go alone, but she knows deep down texting Gus is a bad idea. Her group members offer up some support, and Mickey is super grateful. Honestly, I’m so happy Mickey is starting to take the right steps to recovery. I hope she sticks with SLAA and AA.

Mr. Balcony

Back at the Springwood, Chris interrupts Gus during a cleaning session by throwing a shoe at his sliding glass door. The guys do a weird Romeo and Juliet thing where they yell at each other from their respective balconies. Instead of professing his undying love, Chris grills Gus about his night with Mickey. Gus tells Chris that Mickey just slept over, and changes the subject by asking if he wants to hang out, go to a bar or something. Chris agrees, especially since both of his grandmas sent him money.

Mickey returns home and catches up with Bertie about their respective nights. Mickey tells Bertie she’s dreading going to a dinner party because she’ll be the only single person there. Bertie can’t go, but she suggests Gus goes as Mickey’s date. Mickey doesn’t think Gus going would be a good idea because, she’s a sex and love addict, plus an alcoholic, and being with Gus wouldn’t be the best idea (Smart Mickey, keep it up). In a touching moment, Bertie tells Mickey she’ll be there for her when she needs it. Bertie is really happy Mickey’s the one with the problems, and that she’s the only female friend Mickey told. She then goes on to confess that she once cut up and disemboweled a rabbit at the age of 23 (uhhhh).

Guys’ Night Out

Gus meets up with his guy friends for a night out at the bar. While having an enlightening conversation about Friends and alternate universes, a group of women calls them out, and they join the guys. Everyone seems to be pairing off and having a good time other than Gus. It’s pretty obvious that he’s fighting the urge to text Mickey. Kelly, one of the girls from the other table, awkwardly starts a conversation. Kelly and Gus hit it off because they’re both from the Midwest. The conversation is flowing, until Kelly asks if Gus wants to go to the bar to get another drink with her. Gus says no, and returns to his phone.

Turns out Gus is a little annoyed/uncomfortable with the fact that the table of girls joined up with his table. He thinks that him and his friends are too old to be flirting with girls (does flirtation have an age limit?). Gus leaves the group and sits at the bar where Kelly finds him. She asks him what his problem is, and he said that he was uncomfortable with Kelly’s flirting. Immediately, Kelly FREAKS OUT. Turns out, Kelly wasn’t flirting with Gus because she has a boyfriend. The girl was just being nice! Of course Gus assumed that Kelly wanting to talk to him and get to know him automatically meant that she wanted to sleep with him. Kelly gives Gus the third degree, and he takes it, until he notices that an episode of Little House on the Prairie is playing on one of the bar TVs. His TV look-a-like is onscreen, and he takes a picture, sending it to Mickey. Oh no.

The 7th Wheel

Meanwhile, at Sid’s dinner party, Mickey is having a not-so-great time. She’s the lone wolf among three couples with kids. Everyone talks about the stress of parenthood, and their kids going to the right preschools. Mickey is feeling pretty left out, and keeps trying to change the subject, but she fails every time. Coupled with the fact that she’s trying to stay sober, she’s not having the best time. The conversation turns to pinworms (gross) and Mickey asks the group if they want to play table topics instead.

The table top game turns out to further isolate Mickey, to her chagrin. Needing to cause some drama, Mickey makes up a question. She asks the group “If you could sleep with any member of your partner’s family, who would it be?”. All hell breaks loose. Mickey revels in the fights that break out between the respective couples. Brian, one of Mickey’s friends catches on and accuses Mickey of making the question up just to start drama. Everyone is pretty mad at Mickey for her bullshit, and Mickey explodes. She says how she’s tired of hearing about preschool, princess dresses, and pinworms. She can’t stand it, and then she storms out.

Michael Landon

Gus sends the picture of Michael Landon to Mickey, and she responds that she’s going to get Koran BBQ, giving him the address of the restaurant. They meet up at the restaurant, where they seem to be having a good time. No sexual tension. Until, they go out into the parking lot where Mickey grabs Gus and lays a big kiss on his mouth. Gus, of course returns the kiss, and they end up having sex in Mickey’s car. Dammit.

Final Thoughts

Maybe I’m biased, but I honestly cannot stand Gus. Even when he’s doing nothing I feel annoyed. We’re only two episodes in.

Look, I’m not organized or “adult” at all, but how does Gus only have one towel? One! Does he ever wash it?

Am I the only one that watched Little House on the Prairie everyday on the Hallmark Channel? I guess so.

Again, I’m barely an adult, but seeing Chris, a thirty-something dude needing grandma money in order to go out is a little… unsettling?

Bertie disemboweled a rabbit… still trying to accept that one.

What Mickey did at the dinner party is rude, but if I was the only single, childless person at a dinner party, I’d be annoyed too.

Kelly was weird, but I’m glad she put Gus in his place. Stop nerdy men assuming women that are nice to them are flirting 2k17.

Gus and Mickey had sex. That was the last thing they were supposed to do. I really hope Mickey’s recovery doesn’t go off the tracks.